VietNamNet Bridge – The US Agency for International Development (USAID) has pledged to provide Vietnam with one of the latest state-of-the-art technical tools, aimed at assisting Vietnam best adapt and cope with climate change.

The information was released at a July 24 seminar in Hanoi discussing urban zoning issues in response to climate change.

The Climate Impacts Decision Support Tool (CIMPACT-DST) - an integrated platform for climate adaptation planning – aims to predict and evaluate negative impacts caused by climate change and give consultation for urban zoning plans.

USAID Vietnam Director Joakim Parker said the tool is useful for urban-zoning makers and local authorities to make decisions on developing urban areas to avoid impact of climate change and minimise risks of natural disasters.

He reported that a similar tool was applied in central Hue city, which is a flood-prone area, to help the city adapt to natural calamities. It is also being used in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho and southern Ba Ria-Vung Tau province, and is expected to be implemented more widely in all 63 provinces and cities across the country.

USAID has given priority to assisting climate change adaptation projects in Vietnam –one of the world's most vulnerable countries to climate change that is facing negative consequences of such natural phenomena as rising sea level, hot weather, floods and typhoons.

Source: VOV